THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 79 



was formerly a portion of Karague, but became separated by 

 reason of a contention between two brothers who both claimed 

 the rulership, but who were satisfied to separate the district so 

 that each might become a king. The ceremonies connected with 

 the royal household of Wahuma, and also the officials and their 

 duties, are so exceedingly strange that some of them must be 

 described : The various offices held, without regard for prece- 

 dence, for I do not know the order of rank, are : The lima, a 

 woman whose good fortune it was to cut the umbilical cord at 

 the king's birth; the king's barber; admiral of the fleet of 

 canoes ; guardian of the king's sisters ; first and second-class 

 executioners ; commissioner in charge of the tombs ; the brewer ; 

 the cook ; commander of the guards ; seizer of refractory per- 

 sons the drummers ; the pea-gourd rattlers ; the flute players ; 

 clarionet players ; also players on wooden harmonicans and lap 

 harps, and, lastly, men who whistle on their fingers, for music 

 is more than one-half the amusement of the court. Uganda is 

 the palace seat of the Wahuma country, and everybody who lives 

 there is expected to keep spears, shields and dogs, the Uganda 

 arms and cognizance, while the wakungu (officers) are entitled 

 to drums. There is also a Neptune Mgussa, or spirit, who lives 

 in the depths of the lake, communicates through the medium of 

 his temporal mkungo, and guides to a certain extent the naval' 

 destiny of the king. 



It is the duty of all officers, generally speaking, to attend at 

 court as constantly as possible; should they fail, they forfeit 

 their lands, wives, and all belongings. These will be seized and 

 given to others more worthy of them, as it is presumed that 

 either insolence or disaffection can be the only motives which 

 would induce any person to absent himself for any length of time 

 from the pleasure of seeing his sovereign. Tidiness in dress is 

 imperatively necessary, and for any neglect of this rule the head 

 may be the forfeit. The punishment for such offenses, however, 

 may be commuted by fines of cattle, goats, fowls, or brass 

 wire. All acts of the king are counted benefits, for which he 

 must be thanked ; and so every deed done to his subjects is a 



